Suspension & recovery
Nobody wants surprise downtime. So here is exactly what happens if your balance runs out or a payment does not go through, and how to bring everything back. Short version: we warn you first, we stop before we ever delete, and paying or redeeming a code lifts the suspension.
There are two paths, and one thing decides which one you are on: have you ever completed a payment? A card added but never charged still counts as a trial.
- Free credit, not paid yet - the trial path (your credit runs out).
- Paid at least once - the paid path (a later charge fails).
The steps
Once your balance runs out or a payment fails (call it T0), everyone follows the same sequence. Only the warning window before T0 and the final removal differ between a trial and a paying account.
| Stage | Free trial | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Warning (before T0) | Emails at about 7 days and 24 hours of credit left | About 2-3 weeks of automatic card retries and reminders |
| Suspended: internet cut, servers still run (T0) | When credit hits zero | After the retries are exhausted |
| Grace to fix it | 24 hours | 24 hours |
| Stopped: powered off, disks kept (T0 + 24h) | Clean shutdown tried, then forced | Clean shutdown tried, then forced |
| Pending removal: manual review (~T0 + 8 days, no timer) | Our team decides | Our team decides |
| Removed | Wiped on the spot | Verified backup + key + download links in your panel first, then a retention window |
Good to know
- Recovery. Redeem a code or pay any time before removal and the suspension lifts, once any outstanding balance is cleared and you have at least 24 hours of credit ahead. Servers that were already powered off stay off until you start them yourself, so a workload you moved elsewhere during downtime does not clash with an auto-start.
- Free trial data is not backed up. Export anything you need during the warning window while your servers are still running. Any backups you set up yourself follow the same account lifecycle. A miner or abusive workload on free credit is stopped immediately, skipping the grace.
- Paid data is protected. Before removal we put a verified backup, its encryption key, and time-limited download links in your panel (the email just notifies you); the archive is kept for the retention period shown there.
Hit an edge case we did not cover, or stuck mid-migration? Email [email protected]. We would much rather talk than surprise you.